1. Field of the Invention
The present inventions generally relate to liquid loss measurement and monitoring in pools, spas, ponds, water features, storage tanks, and other liquid containers, and more particularly, relate to systems and methods designed for rapid detection of leakage in a liquid container, and automatic control of fill and drain functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various leak detection devices and methods have been developed for swimming pools, spas, storage tanks, and other containers of fluid. Liquid leak detection devices typically function by monitoring or measuring liquid level changes in the container. However, one of the challenges in measuring liquid level changes in a container located in an open environment such as an outdoor swimming pool is that it is difficult to differentiate between actual changes in liquid level versus perceived changes caused by surface turbulence. For example, the amplitude of water waves and other surface turbulence in a swimming pool can often be greater than the amplitude of the actual changes being measured, thus causing the signal to noise ratio of the sensor response to be much less than one, which in turn can adversely affect the accuracy of the data.
Prior art leak detection devices have utilized baffles or other physical means to reduce water level fluctuations caused by surface turbulence. Some prior art liquid level change detection methods require hours of testing under static conditions in order to achieve measurements that are meaningful. Leak detection devices that incorporate more sensitive sensors capable of faster measurements often suffer from high noise due to large wave amplitudes on the surface of the liquid being measured. In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved system and method for rapidly and accurately detecting surface level changes in a contained body of liquid, especially where the liquid surface is exposed to turbulence due to environmental effects and other disturbances.